The present invention relates to an electrical connector to be mounted on an electrical circuit board. More specifically, the present invention relates to an electrical connector to be connected to a mating connecting member while the electrical connector is mounted on an electrical circuit board.
Patent Reference has disclosed a conventional electrical connector of a connector. When the conventional electrical connector is mounted on an electrical circuit board, the conventional electrical connector may be shifted from a standard position relative to the electrical circuit board. If the conventional electrical connector is shifted from the standard position relative to the electrical circuit board, when another connector as a mating connecting member is connected to the conventional electrical connector, the conventional electrical connector mounted on the electrical circuit board may receive a undesirably large stress. Even though the conventional electrical connector is mounted at the standard position on the electrical circuit board, if another connector as the mating connecting member is connected to the conventional electrical connector at a position shifted from a standard position, the conventional electrical connector mounted on the electrical circuit board may receive a undesirably large stress. Accordingly, it is desirable for the conventional electrical connector to be capable of floating to absorb the positional shift.
Patent Reference: Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-216298
In the conventional electrical connector disclosed in Patent Reference and to be mounted on the electrical circuit board, the conventional electrical connector includes a fixed housing to be fixed to the electrical circuit board and a movable (floating) housing configured to be movable relative to the fixed housing. The conventional electrical connector further includes terminals arranged to bridge between the fixed housing and the movable housing. Each of the terminals includes an elastic portion in a curved shape. Accordingly, when the mating connecting member is connected to the movable housing, the movable housing is capable of being movable relative to the fixed housing. As a result, the conventional electrical connector is capable of being a floating electrical connector.
As described above, in the conventional electrical connector disclosed in Patent Reference capable of being the floating electrical connector, the movable housing is configured to be movable relative to the fixed housing. Accordingly, when the mating connecting member is connected to the movable housing from above with a large force, the movable housing may be moved excessively in a downward direction. As a result, a lower surface of the movable housing may contact with the electrical circuit board, and an electrical circuit portion and the like on the electrical circuit board may be damaged.
To this end, in the conventional electrical connector disclosed in Patent Reference, a position regulating member (a hold down member) formed of a durable material is attached to the fixed housing. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the movable housing from contacting with the electrical circuit board, while the movable housing is capable of floating in the vertical direction. Further, a position regulating portion formed in a plate shape is disposed on the position regulating member to face the lower surface of the movable housing. Accordingly, when the mating connecting member is connected to the movable housing, even though the movable housing is moved downwardly, the position regulating portion restricts the movable housing from moving further downwardly before the movable housing contact with the electrical circuit board. As a result, it is possible to prevent the movable housing from contacting with the electrical circuit board.
In general, it has been required to reduce a size of the conventional electrical connector. More specifically, it is necessary to reduce a size (a height size) of the conventional electrical connector in a direction that the mating connecting member is connected to the conventional electrical connector (height reduction). Accordingly, when the mating connecting member mounted on another electrical circuit board is connected to the conventional electrical connector mounted on the electrical circuit board, it is possible to reduce a distance between the electrical circuit board and another electrical circuit board.
As described above, in the conventional electrical connector disclosed in Patent Reference, the position regulating portion of the position regulating member is disposed on the fixed housing, and is situated between the lower surface of the movable housing and the electrical circuit board. Accordingly, as a whole, the height size of the conventional electrical connector is inevitably increased by a sum of a plate thickness of the position regulating member and a space size between the position regulating portion and the fixed housing.
In the conventional electrical connector disclosed in Patent Reference, the movable housing is configured to have a minimum necessary height size. Accordingly, if it is tried to reduce the height size of the movable housing by the sum of the plate thickness of the position regulating member and the space size between the position regulating portion and the fixed housing, the movable housing may be deteriorated in term of strength thereof.
As described above, in the conventional electrical connector disclosed in Patent Reference, the position regulating member is provided for preventing the movable housing from contacting with the electrical circuit board. However, due to the position regulating member, it is difficult to reduce the height size of the conventional electrical connector.
In view of the problems described above, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector capable of solving the problems of the conventional electrical connector. In the electrical connector of the present invention, it is possible to securely prevent a movable housing thereof from contacting with an electrical circuit board and also reduce a height size of the electrical connector while the movable housing of the electrical connector is capable of floating.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.